fil·let (fĭl′ĭt) n.
A thin flat molding used as separation between or ornamentation for larger moldings.
No…it’s not chicken or fish! In picture framing, fillet is a wooden accent primarily attached to the inside edge of a mat. I like to use a fillet to echo the finish of the frame. I feel this achieves artistic balance and harmony and provides the viewer with a subliminal terminus to the matting/framing package. Fillets are a bit more expensive than other similar design elements like inner mats, but they are eye-catching and provide a very polished look.
The first example uses a gilded frame and fillet package by Max Moulding. This is a more classsic approach which fits the style of this plate signed Picasso lithograph printed by Henri Deschamps.
The second example uses a brushed silver frame and fillet from Larson Juhl’s Gramercy and Metro lines. This approach which works well with modern works of art such as this photograph by Cynthia Matthews.